Scruggs Company had the low bid of $538,222, which was unanimously accepted.

City Manager's Report

City Manager Larry Hanson talked about the
deadline for city 101 course, ribbon cutting, and recognized some people,
"we all feel for those who have been affected" by the flooding situation,
thanks to the volunteers who helped during the cold weather, etc.

Robert Yost v VDT.
Thanked manager and staff for hiring of new personnel director and fire chief.
Flooding caused several people to have move out of their homes.
Commended response by several departments of city staff.
Complained about the accuracy of the Valdosta Daily Times,
both
reporter and editorial staff.
Said maybe editorial staff needed to be replaced.
Specifically complained about reporting about berm, health effects,
etc.
Especially about the 80% of the city claim, and about purported
flooding of the hospital.
Read from VDT editorial Planning for 'a little rain'.
Admitted he was wrong to think a 100 year flood wouldn't happen again
in four years.
Tried to dictate to the newspaper that it should print entire answers
and leave out its own views.
Recommended VDT editorials not contradict themselves,
and that stories should use sources.
Asked for apologies for inaccurate stories to be public,
and for hiring competent people to work at the newspaper.

He also talked about a need for local government to interact more with
the citizens.
Specifically he suggested the city should organize videoing its own meetings
and distribute via TV, web, or CD to radio and TV stations.
Why?
Freedom of speech and press.

And repeatedly I see people
come to this mic, same
at the school board of education meeting,
same at the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners meeting.
It is as if though when the Attorney General put out that
little red pamphlet about open government and the sunshine law
it wasn't worth the paper it was written on.

In the Library they got us in a 9 foot by 4 oblong square for
us to stand for all the cameras and the TV stations.
In the County Commission they put us in a little pyramid
square
that leaves
Ms. Gretchen
hardly get her camera in.
Something's wrong in Valdosta.

He continued with criticism of the black preachers in the community
for not doing much about the problems, especially of race.
He added:

The things I put on bostongbr YouTube I could't put on there
unless somebody in a position, often white, gave me information!
But they are afraid, just like black folks are afraid.
And I don't know why they are so afraid.
But I don't want to see them afraid no more.

I can attest to that same problem.
George said he did what he did because of love.

Videos: Rezoning, two grants, fire, and water
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 March 2013.